Suction cleaner



Nov. 21, 1944. E. R. swANN SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 2e, 19,41

4 Sheets-Sheet l lNvENToR ldzaard Swann BY ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1944- E. R. swANN l 2,363,452

f sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed Dec. l2e, 1941 4 Sheets-sheet 2 INVENTO ZdwardR.Sulalm ATTORNEY Nov. 2l, 1944. E R $wAN`N 2,363,452

S'CTION CLEANER Filed'Dec. 26; 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Edward R. Sula/m A rToRNEY v Nov. 21, 1944. E. R.,swANN 2,363,452

sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed Deo. 2e, 1941 4 sheets-*sheet 4 INVENOR Edward l?. Slaan/z Patented Nov, 21, 1944 sUc'rloN CLEANER j' Edward R. Swa'nn, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio,

a corporation ci' 0 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to a cord take-upior suction cleaners.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved suction cleaner. Another objectis to provide an improved cord take-up for suction cleaners. A further object is to provide an improved suction cleaner body for the cord take-up to reduce the overall height of the cleaner. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be Application December 26, 1941, Serial No. 424,503

apparent from the following specification and drawings, wherein:

AFigure lis a section along line I-I of F18- ure 2;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View of the cleaner shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3'is a section along line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the cleaner embodying the cord take-up;

Figure 5 is a section along line 5--5 of Figure 6 showing a modiiied suction cleaner;

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the cleaner shown in Figure 5, and

Figure '7 is a section ure 6.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figures 1 to 4 comprises a suction cleaner including a body I 0 mounted on wheels II and having a lower casing I2 and an upper overlying top casing I3. The lower casing I2 includes a downwardly opening nozzle I4, a horizontally arranged fan chamber I5 and a motor housing I6. The fan along the line I--l of Figchamber I 5 is 'defined by a vertical wall l1, a bottom wall I8 and a removable top wall I9 which is suitably secured by screws 29 to a shoulder 2| at the upper periphery of the fan chamber. The motor housing I5 is dened by a vertical wall 22, the fan chamber wall I1, a top wall 23 and a removable bottom wall 24, secured to the vertical wall of the housing. A motor 25 is vertically supported on bearings 26, mounted in the motor housing IB and is provided at its lower end with a motor ventilating fan 21. n

Above the fan chamber yI5 is a cord reel housing 28 formed by the fan chamber vertical wall II, fan chamber wall i9 and a top wall 29 removin a hollow bearing housing 33 attached to the upper wal1 29 and depending therefrom through the reel housing 28 into the fan chamber I5. A fan 34 in the fan chamber I5 is mounted on the shaft 3| and is rotated by abelt 35 extending between a motor pulley 36 and a shaft pulley 31. The upper casing I3 encloses the belt 35 and pulleys 36 and 31. Rotation of the ian 34 draws in dirt-laden air through the nozzle I4, anda suction passageway 38 into the fan chamber I5 and the dirt is discharged through an exhaust passageway 39 into a lter bag 49 removably attached to the casing I2. The upper end of the bag 40 is supported from a handle 4I pivotally mounted on a pin 42 supported on the casing I2 rearwardly of the reel housing 2B. The exhaust passageway 39 is formed by the rearward extension of the bottom and top fan chamber walls I8 and I9, respectively, and the vertical wall Il. Rotation of the fan shaft 3l also drives a surface contacting member 43 in the nozzle It by means of a belt 44.

Rotatably mounted on the exterior surface of the bearing housing 33 are a pair of annular rings ably secured by means of screws 35 to the top surface of the casing I2. The combined height of the fan chamber I5 and the cord reel housing 23 is substantially equal to the height of the motor housing I6 and they are' arranged along side the latter, substantially parallel to the cleaner nozzle I4.

A fan shaft 3i is rotatably mounted in a bear- Y ing indicated generally at 32 which is supported 55 46, 41 forming a portion of the hub t8 of a cord reel 49 provided with opposed cord confining end plates 5U extending radially from the hub t3. A

helical spring 5I is disposed between the bearinghousing 33 and the hub 48 and has one end at tached tothe stationary bearing housing 33 and the other end to the hub 48 for rotating the cord reel 49. An electric cord52 is arranged about the cord reel 49 and extends therefrom beneath a guide-roller 53 on the handle pivot pin 42 and upwardly in the handle 4i and through an outlet 54'for attachment toa source of electric current.

The inner ends 55, 56 of the cord 52 are electrically connected to the motor 25 by a pair oi collector rings 5l, 58 insulatably mounted on one of the cord reel end plates 59 and slidably contact a pair of spring contacts 59, 59, the contact 59 being connected by a lead 5I to the motor, while the contact 39 is connected by a lead 62 to a switch B3 at the upper end of the handle, the switch 93 also being connected by a lead 64 to the motor 25.

In operation,assume the cord is wound about the reel 49 and it is desired to unwind the cord. A pull on the outer end of the cord causes the cord reel 49 to rotate and the cord passes along the guide-roller 53 until the desired length of cord is unwound. A suitable clampmay be positioned at the top of the handle di to hold the unwound cord paid outagainst the increased tension of the spring 5I which tends to rotate the reel 49 to wind thev cord thereon. When it is desired to rewind the cord, the clamp is released and the spring rotatesthe reel 49 to wind thercord thereon. Since the guide-roller 53 is journalled on the handle pivot 42 rearwardly of the cord reel 49, a constant length of cord will be maintained between the handle pivot 42 and the point oi application of the cord on the reel 49 while the handle 4| is oscillated and the cord is wound and unwound on the reel.

Figures 5 to '1 disclose a modication of the invention and comprises a suction cleaner having a body 65 provided with a downwardly opening nozzle 86 from which extends a vertical wall 61 and a top wall 88. Depending from the body top wall 68 is a motor housing 69 formed of a section of electric insulating material and a section 1| in each of which is mounted a bearing 12 for supporting a motor 13 having a vertically arranged armature 14 and a' substantially U- shaped field core 15 of the unicoil type supporting a coil 16. L

Depending from the body top wall 68 is a casing 11 having a vertical wall 18 and a bottom wall 19 which cooperate with the body top wall 68 to form a fan chamber 80. 'Ihe casing 11 and the body top Wall 68 also cooperate to form an exhaust passageway 8| which discharges dirt-laden air intoa lter bag 82 removably attached to a flange 83 formed by the body/top wall 68 and the casing 11. A suction passageway 84 extends from the nozzle 66 to the fan chamber 80 and is formed by a wall 85 extending downwardly from the fan chamber bottom wall 18 and the body top Wall 68, and a cooperating removable plate 88. Afan 81 is disposed in the fan chamber 80 and is rigidly supported on a shaftA 88 rotatably mounted in spaced bearings 89, 89 carried in a bearing housing 90 depending from the body top wall 68. A belt 9| extends below the motor housing 69 and between the armature shaft 92 and the fan shaft 88 to rotate the fan 81, and the belt 9| is enclosed by a lateral extension 93 of the cover plate 86. A rug vibrator 94 in the nozzle 66 is rotated by a belt 95 extending from a pulley 96 on the shaft 88 to the vibrator 94.

A cord reel 91 is rotatably mounted on a pin 98 rigidly supported on the body top wall 68, the reel overlying the motor 13 and thean chamber 80 and being enclosed by a. casing 99. An electriccord |00 has its inner end rigidly attached to the hub of the reel 91 and extends therefrom along the guide-roller' 58, through the handle 4| and outwardly from the latter at its upper end. The inner ends I 0|, |02 of the cord are connected to the motor by means of a pair of collector rings |03, |04 insulatably mounted on the reel 91 for slidable contact with springcontacts |05, |06, respectively; which are mounted on an insulating block |01 supported on the body top Wall 68. A

lead |08 connects the contact |08 with the motor,

and a lead |09 extends from the contact |05 to the switch 83 at the upper end of the handle, and another lead |0 extends from the switch to the motor to complete the motor energizing circuit.

1n operation, if it is desired to unwind the cord |00, a pull is exerted thereon causing the reel 91 to rotate against the force of an unshown helical spring, and thereafter the cord is maintained paid out by a'suitable cord clamp on the handle 4| In order to rewind the cord, the clamp is releasedand the helical spring rotates the reel 91 to wind the cord about the reel.

I claim:

l. In a suction cleaner, an ambulatory body, a motor mounted on said body, a fan chamber in said body and laterally offset with respect to said motor and alongside the latter, a cord take-up rotatably supported on said body and overlying said motor and fan chamber, and an electric cord carried by said take-up and connected to said motor.

2. In a suction cleaner, an ambulatory body, a handle pivotally mounted on said body, a motor on said body, a cord take-up rotatably mounted o n said body on an axis diilerent from the pivotal axis of said handle, an electric cord carried by said take-up and connected to said motor and slidably supported on said handle, and guide means rotatably supported on said'handle pivot for guiding said cord during oscillation of said handle to maintain a constant length of the cord between said handle and the point of application of said cord on said take-up as said cord is wound and unwound.

3. In a suction cleaner, an ambulatory body, a motor on said body, a fan chamber in said body, a cord take-up rotatably supported on said body4 said fan chamber and take-up being in superposed relation alongside said motor to substantially equal the height of said motor, and an electric cord carried by said take-up and con- I nected to said motor.

V4. In a suction cleaner, a motor, a fan chamber, a fan in said chamber, a housing rotatably supporting a shaftI for said fan on an axis laterally oiset with respect to the axis of said motor and alongside the lattera cord take-up rotatably supported on said fan shaft housing, an electric cord carried by said take-up and connected to said motor, and drive means from said motor to said fan shaft for rotating said fan.

5. In a suction cleaner, an ambulatory body, a motor in said body, a fan casing in said body, a fan insaid fan casing, a cord take-up rotatably supported -in said body on an axis aligned with the axis of said fan, an electric cord carried by said take-up and connected to said motor, said 'fan casing, fan and cord takeup arranged in 

